Converted house car



Aug- 6, 1935- F. DITCHFIELD CONVERTED HOUSE CAR 2 Sheets-sheet 2 F. DITCHFIELD CONVERTED HOUSEKCAR -Filed Dec. 17, 1952 Aug. 6, 1935.

Patented Aug. 6, 1935 f 2,010,143

2,010,143 coNvEa'rEn HOUSE can Frank Ditcheld, Cleveland, Ohio, assignor toA The Youngstown Steel Door Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio yApplication December 17, 1932, Serial No. 647,761 4 anims. (c1. 10s-409) This invention relates to improvements in con` the resulting .converted car has a more rigid verted house car. superstructure than originally.

At the present time there are many thousands Stillanother specic object of theinvention is of wood sheathed box cars owned by various to provide a converted car of thetypeabove in- 5 railroads, which box cars where built several dicated wherein the metal sheathingA replacing 5` years ago. Thesebox cars were originally prothe prior wood sheathing is so applied as to avoid vided with heavy metal underframes, metal ends any necessity for counter-boring the wood posts but wooden posts, braces and side plates, certain for accommodation of therivet heads and whereof them having thewood posts reinforced by in the metal sheathing may be fabricated comm metal beams. These wood sheathed cars, after pleteprior to application to the superstructure l years of service, are badly deteriorated and pre- `frameworlr. I sent a diicult problem to the railroads in the Other objects of the invention will more clearly matter of maintenance or complete scrapping. appearfrom the description and claims herein- The metal underframes and the metal ends and after following. i A u the wooden framework proper of the superstruc- In `the drawings forming apart of this specil5 ture are Still, 0n the average, Suitable for 00ncation, Figure 1 Ais a side elevational View of aptmied Service- The railroads, hOWever, desire proximately half of a converted box car showing metal sheathed cars. To replace the wood posts, the improvements incorporated therein, parts bebI'aCes and Side Plates With all Steel Side Plates, ing broken away in order to better accommodate posts and braces to which to rivet sheet metal the view on the sheet. Figure 2 is an enlarged 20 sheathing,` Would involve quite heavy V00stevertical, sectional View corresponding to the line Neither fis it practical to directly attach steel. 2...: of Figure 1, parte being breken out te aesheathing t0 WOOCl Side Plates, DOStS and braCeS commodate'the View on the sheet. Figures 3, 4 ina manner that Will transfer any appreciable and 5' are detail horizontal, sectional views corref k part of the weight of the metal sheathing thereto spending to the lines 3 3, 4-4 and 5 5 respec- 25 through the attaching means since this Would tively of Figure l. And Figure 6 is a detail secresult in unavoidable leakage and the constant tionaI view similar to the lower portion of Figvibration in service would SOOn Work the attachure 2 to illustrate certaindet'ails of construction ing .means loose in the wood with consequent u1- of the wood sheathed oar prior to being converted timate failure of the whole car superstructure. by lche improvements herein described, 30

One Object 0f thiS invention iS t0 DlOvide a Y In said drawings, it has been deemed necessary metal rsheathed car converted from a wood to iuustrate only. appfoximatdy one half of one sheathed car wherein the Original WOOd frame side of thecar, it being understood that the arelements may be reclaimed and retained. Without rangement Shown in Figure 1 be duplicated am? impairment 0f their efficiency 01 functions at the opposite side of the door opening and the 35 and wherein also the attachment 0f the Outer Same arrangement provided on the Opposite Side metal sheathing is made in such manner as to` of he car. The Gar, Vas Shown, comprises a form a stronger and more rigid superstructure metal end |g which may be of any one of the than before and having greater lifewell known forms of 'commercial ends now on the w1 Another Object 0f inventions t0 provide market; a metal unde'l'frame including Channel 4:0 a metal sheathed- Caf 0f the house type havmg side sills II ;V a top wood side plate I2; carline I3; ametal underfra'me and Superstructure frame' roof I4; wood door post I5; intermediate side work of wood elements so arranged that substanposts s ls; diagonal Wood braces n n. cop tiallv the entire deadweght of the metal sheath' ner wood posts I8; wood ilooring I9; and yinner mg is transferred directly to the metlundr'i wood lining 20. As shown, Vreferring particularly frame and the attachmg means betwen eme a' to Figure 4, the intermediate wood posts I6 are sheathing and wood elements are relieved of an b h l-b 2 I d th t ble weight-carrying function. l raced by?. anni? eamfs, Secure ,ere cat id apprecla the posts and braces are seated at their ends 1n I,More specifically, an object `oi this invention is to provide a metal sheathed house car wherein mutable base 01" pedestal Castmgs 22 The parts 50 the metal sheathing replaces former wood'sheath- Seial' Specifically deSgnated by reference than4 ing while retaining the` original superstructure aCterS are 01 may be Sueh aS Incorporated in the frame eIementsand over-au width dimensions.. original wood Sheath boXror house ear prlorto the construction being such that a minimum of beingV converted to the metal sheathing and all Il? labor isrequired in making the conversion and said parts, as will be evident, remain in their UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE original positions and perform their original functions.

Referring to Figure 6, the box car prior to conversion, is shown as having the usual outer Wood sheathing 23 extended down below the floor H9 beneath which is disposed a Wood stringer 24 supported at longitudinally separated intervals by short angle irons 25 riveted to the side sill l l l, the lower ends of the outer sheathing boards being retained by a 'longitudinally'extendingangle 26 bolted through the sheathing boards, stringer 24 and side sill l i I.

In making the conversion to the steelshea'th-i ing, the outer sheathing boards V23and angles 2S, stringers 24 and angles 25 are not only taken off but discarded. Temporarily, also, 'the 'corner post i8 is taken out as Well as the inner lining Zal but are later replaced and used as shown in Figures 1 to 5.

In carrying out the invention, the sheet metal,V preferably steel, outer sheathing. designated generally by the reference character A, is made up of a series of panels 2l-2829- A plurality of such panelssufficient to cover that portion of the side Wall extending from a door post to the corner, are Ycut to the proper size and the same riveted together along ,vertical adjacent overlappedv edges, as indicated by the series of rivets 39-39. Also, preferably prior to application to the car structure, the riveted assembly of the panels has secured thereto along its upper edge, a Z-bar 3l riveted Vby the horizontal series of rivets 132. Also preferably before application to the car structure, the panel assembly has secured thereto along its bottom edge another heavier Z-bar 32 as by the horizontal series of rivets 33.Y Similarly, there is secured to the vertical edge of the panel assembly to be associated with the door post, a slightly offset plate 34 asby the series of rivets 35. The Z-bar 3| vand plate 34 aregprovided with holes at suitable spaced intervals for the accommodation of bolts, as indicated at 3B and 3l respectively, and the inner depending ange ofi-the Z-bar 32 is punched at suitable intervals to accommodate the rivets Sil-38. It will also be understood that the Wood side plate I2, and door post l5 are, in the meantime, suitably bored for the reception of the bolts 36 and 37; and the side sill Il drilled for reception of the rivets 38. Also, the intermediate posts I E vare bored at suitable'spaced intervals for the reception of shoulder bolt rivets 3S-39 and the latter set in place, Each of said shoulder bolt rivets 39 comprises a main shank 4! extending through the post and threaded at its inner end for the yreception of a nut 4|; an integral annular shoulder or boss 42 engaging against the outer surface of the post, and an initially outwardly extended rivet shank` 43, indicated by dotted lines in FigureV 2. After-the bolt rivets 39 have been set yin place and the panel assembly having been provided with suitable openings in the riveted lap joints to correspond with the location of the bolt rivets, the assembly is then placed in position, the Z-bar 32 riveted to the side sill l l, the upper Z-bar 3| bolted by the bolts 36 to the sidegplate, and the offset plate 34 bolted to the door post by the bolts 31. As Will be apparent, the plate 3l provides a weather sealed joint or connection between the upper edge of the sheathing and side plate; the Z bar 32 a similar connection'between the lower edge of the sheathing and side sill and the plate 34 a similar connection between the sheathing and door post. At the same' time,

it is obvious that the rivet Shanks 43 will be entered through the corresponding openings of the panel assembly after which the rivet shanks 43 are then upset and the heads formed, the bolt rivets being suitably bucked at their inner ends during this process. The vertical end edge of the panel assembly is also connected to the vertical edge flange fil of the metal end lil as bythe vertical series ofrivets 48, access on the innerside for the bucking up tool being'p'ossible because of the temporary removal of the corner post i8. After the metal sheathing has been secured inplace as described, the corner post i8 may thenbe replaced and also the inner Ylining 2%, as. vfell asl the vertical tie bolts 49 which will also have been previously removed, the lower ends of said tie bolts now being secured to the horizontal .Web of the Z-bar, as best shown in Figure 2.

' With theconstruction shown and described, it isqevidentthat substantiallythe Ventire weight of the metal sheathing assemblyis transferred to` amlsustainedv by the vvlower, Z-bar, ,which in turn `is rigidly and permanently connected to the side sill Hiof the underframe thus relieving all theV Wood frame elements ofthe superstructure from ahyappreciable load, the various bolt at taching means thereto functioning primarily to retain thelsheathing assembly inV place. /lnthis manner, theseveral, seriesof bolts 39, .'iand 3l are substantially entirely relieved of any Weight-V sustainingv function and hence will not Wear loose in their/respective Wood element supports.

It will valso be noted a strong riveted connection,

is provided between the panel structureand the metal end Wall which,.in conjunction With the other connections of the. metal sheathing to the superstructureframeelements and side sill will constitute a very much more rigid lsuperstructure and one less subject to Weaving than thev original Woodsheath construction. Attention is further called to the shoulder .bolt rivets 39 Which-not only provide an exceedingly cheap and eicient mannerA of attachingto theposts and eliminate any necessity for counter-boring the posts forY reception of the heads of. the rivetsV 39,' but additionally insure that Vthe metal sheathing shall be located in the proper plane to maintain the original over-al1 Width of the car. dent from comparison of Figures 2 and 6 where it will be seen that, by use of the spacing'shoulders 42 on the bolt rivets 39, the metal sheathing 'is held in aplaneto compensate for. the diference in thickness of the metal sheathing andthe original Wood sheathing 23. A corner gusset -50 is also preferably riveted to the end Wall l0 and upper end corner of the metal side sheathing, as indicated in Figure l, to further strengthen the assembly against Weaving. Y

After, the metal sheathing has been applied as above described, the Vinner wood lining Z may be replaced 'as well as the grain shedding strips 5l' where the latter are to be employed'.

In the foregoing, only one half', that is, from door post to corner' post of the side wall ofthe car has been referred to specifically but, as will be understood, the structure will be duplicated for the remaining side wall portions of the car. Y

VFrom the'preceding description, it will be seen that all. of. the metal parts may be manufactured at relatively small expense and Vfabricated either at the mills or at the car` repair shops prior to application tothe car. Furthermore the railroads are enabled to salvage Athe greater and still remaining usableparts of those old Woodshe'athed This will be evi--A coicars now in service and which are rapidly failing and, at the same time, obtain a car with a stronger and more serviceable superstructure than originally.

Although the improvements herein shown and described are now considered the preferred manner of. carrying out the invention, the same is by way of illustration only and not by way of limitation, and all changesand modifications coming Within the scope of the appended claims are contemplated.

What is claimed is:

1. A house car having an underframe including a metal side sill; a superstructure framework including wood posts and side plate, the posts being disposed outwardly of the plane of the side sill; an outer sheet metal side sheathing disposed in a plane outwardly of the intermediate posts; means for attaching the upper and lower edge portions of said sheathing to the side plate and sill and providing weather sealed connections therewith, respectively; and spacing and attaching means for fastening said sheathing to the intermediate posts in spaced relation to the outer sides thereof.

2. A house car having an underframe including a metal side sill; a superstructure framework including wood posts and side plate; an outer sheet metal side sheathing; means for attaching the upper and lower edge portions of said sheathing to the side plate and sill. respectively; and spacing and attaching means for fastening said sheathing to the intermediate posts in spaced relation to the outer sides thereof, said spacing and attaching means comprising shoulder bolt rivets with the shoulders thereof interposed between the posts and sheathing.

3. A house car having an underfraxne including a metal side sill; a superstructure framework including wood posts and side plate; an outer sheet metal sheathing; a flanged bar riveted to the side sill and to the lower edge of the sheathing; a metal plate riveted along the top edge of the sheathing and secured to the side plate, said bar and metal plate constituting weather sealing means; and means for retaining the sheathing in outwardly spaced relation to the posts.

4. A house car having an underframe including a metal side sill; a superstructure framework including wood posts and side plate; an outer sheet metal sheathing; a flanged bar riveted to the side sill and to the lower edge of the sheathing; a metal plate riveted along the top edge of the sheathing and secured to the side plate; and means for retaining the sheathing in outwardly spaced relation to the posts, said means including shoulder bolt rivets riveted to the sheathing and bolted to the posts with the shoulders interposed between the posts and sheathing.

FRANK DITCHFIELD. 

